Authorities said the force of the impact ripped the car apart. Witnesses said they were shocked to find that the man was still alive even though his green Subaru was barely recognizable. A family member said the driver is a father of three, who was on his way home to Dover.

Police said a witness told them that the crane was traveling north on Route 125 when a Subaru crossed the yellow line and collided with it head-on. The crane driver was not injured, authorities said.

An off-duty Dover firefighter/EMT was just a few cars behind the Subaru, and he did what he could to comfort the victim, who was pinned inside his mangled vehicle.

Police said the driver of the Subaru suffered serious injuries, and a medical helicopter was on the way.

"I've heard car accidents before, I've never heard one like this before," said neighbor Craig Bingham. "Actually, somebody took the telephone pole down about nine months ago, and that shook the house. This one shook the house even worse."

Bingham said when he looked out his window, he saw the crane truck that had come to rest in a wooded area off the roadway, and he called 911. It wasn't until he got outside that he saw other witnesses rushing to the crumpled car up the street.

"To tell you the truth, after I saw the car, I really didn't want to go near it," he said. "It looked so horrendous. I just... I started praying for the guy."

Route 125 in Lee re-opened Monday night after being closed for several hours in the afternoon because of a crash involving a crane and a car. The road was closed between the Route 4 traffic circle and Stepping Stone Road until about 8:15 p.m.

The accident is still under investigation. There was no word on how long the road would remain closed.